[This letter originally appeared in the pages of CCM Magazine.]

This letter is written in response to January’s letter attacking the song choice of Ghoti Hook’s new cover album, “Songs We Didn’t Write.”

First of all, because last month’s letter focused mainly on Ghoti Hook’s cover of a Dead Milkmen song, let me clarify that all of the DM’s songs are written in jest. To equate the DM with a band like, say, Marilyn Manson requires a lack of the ability to critically analyze anything. And because the Violent Femmes were also mentioned in the same breath, let me clarify that the song covered by Ghoti Hook (“Hey Nonny, Nonny”) is based off the 16th century poem Colin by the Shepard Tonie—required reading in some high school and college English courses.

To the author of the letter, I am astonished that you would rather a store refuse to sell a CD—the result of hours and hours of hard work by fellow Christians—just to prevent a few people from possibly buying a CD from another band. (I believe your exact words were, “Why take a chance?”) So, you would rush to judge and tear down your brothers in Christ to prevent such an off-chance? Honestly, I find your lack of concern for your fellow believers disturbing.

The fact is, the Bible tells us to give honor where honor is due (Rom. 13:7). That’s exactly what Ghoti Hook has done. They have given honor to music and songs they felt deserved honor. Period. They are not promoting the personal beliefs of the bands they covered or the business practices of their respective labels. …Any more than I promote the business practices of Microsoft by using its software or you promote the religion of your dentist by paying him money to clean your teeth.

You can’t get around having connections to the non-believing world. Jesus tells us to be in the world but not of it. You would rather we be neither in the world nor of it. You seem to think we, as Christians, should have no dealings with non-believers at all—that, to even sing a song written by non-believers deserves the scorn and the boycotting of Christians. Honestly, your “holier than thou” disdain for all things “secular” tells me that, had you lived during the time of Jesus’ ministry, you and the Pharisees would have gotten along just fine.

Michael Tolosa
Chantilly, Virginia